TVET Grads Urged to Build Their Own Futures

At a televised ceremony in Putrajaya, the Minister of Youth and Sports told the nation’s fresh TVET graduates to quit the endless hunt for vacancies and start building their own enterprises. He highlighted that a striking 97 per cent of these graduates have already secured employment, proving the sector’s relevance in today’s economy.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has introduced seed funding, incubator access and mentorship networks to turn technical skills into market‑ready businesses. This aligns with Malaysia’s plan to curb youth unemployment, which remains above 10 per cent.

By encouraging graduates to become job creators, the government hopes to spark a wave of small‑and‑medium enterprises that can diversify the economy beyond oil and gas, and provide resilient employment in the face of global supply‑chain shocks. Early success stories – a mobile repair hub, a renewable‑energy installation firm – already showcase the potential.

Achieving this will need universities, industry and banks to lower entry barriers, streamline licences and give graduates hands‑on guidance. For graduates, it means moving from waiting for a vacancy to spotting unmet needs and mobilising resources.

For anyone with a TVET qualification, the message is a call to action: the job market is already receptive, but true security lies in creating value yourself. Even non‑graduates can learn from the push towards entrepreneurship, as it signals a shift in policy that may open new funding streams and support services for start‑ups across the country.

The initiative matters because it tackles two persistent challenges: high youth unemployment and a reliance on foreign talent for innovation. By equipping TVET graduates with the tools to launch their own ventures, Malaysia can nurture a homegrown SME ecosystem, boost domestic productivity and reduce the brain‑drain that has long plagued the nation’s development agenda.